Harry Potter and the Sphere of Madness
by Kevin3
Summary: 19 Years after Graduation, the method used to trap Voldemort has been broken. Sequel to my 5th-7th year trilogy (two draughts, possessions of voldemort, obsidian tome)
1. Raids and Unspeakables

Harry Potter and the Sphere of Madness

Author's Note: I relented.  This is the sequel a lot of people asked for – specifically, it's for the trilogy 'Harry Potter and the Two Draughts', 'Harry Potter and the Possessions of Voldemort', and 'Harry Potter and the Obsidian Tome'  I'd suggest you read these first, but I've tried to keep it somewhat independent, so you can follow along anyway.  Still, I'm rather proud of the trilogy, and if you haven't read it, I'd encourage you to do so.

Also, this story is going to be rather short – probably around 15k words, and it will have shorter chapters.  I'm also not going to commit to an update rate, although I hope to at least get them out once a week.

Finally, I'd like to say that although I liked the ending to the trilogy, if you think this sequel will end up having everyone in the same places, you're in for a surprise.

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

"So, how was work today?" Ginny asked, emerging from the kitchen as Harry exited from the fireplace.

Harry smiled and replied, "Simply unspeakable."

"Erg," moaned Ginny, "That was funny after your first day.  The second, I chuckled politely.  That joke is 19 years old now – give it up!"

"I told you staring at those white walls could do funny things to a person's mind," Harry chuckled and gave his wife a kiss.

"Can you take the cooking for a minute, dear?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Harry laughed, "are you sure that's safe?"

Ginny tried to look stern and said, "Far safer than you refusing, trust me!"

Harry took over the oven, a touch worried.  Last time he tried to finish cooking for Ginny, he made the mistake of following the directions exactly.  For the wrong recipe.  Fred and George still gave him a hard time at family reunions, asking for his famous Onion Cookies.

Harry peered at the cookbook and watched as Vincent Viscoli instructed how to tell if the casserole was done.  Resigning to the fact that he had little hope of getting the dish out like the Viscoli's, Harry called out, "So how was your day?  Phil let you off early?"

"Yeah," Ginny replied offhandedly from the living room, "We only had paperwork today, to cover all the raids on Monday.  Oh, it turns out that Phil had a conversation with his boss yesterday.  Seems there is a cache of enchanted muggle objects around St. Ottery Catchpole the ministry's been unable to track down."

"Really!" Harry laughed, "I still don't understand how Arthur hasn't been caught.  What set them off this time?"

Ginny poked into the kitchen and looked inside the oven.  "Dad got a muggle billiard table.  I think he went five minutes before he got bored with pool balls that stayed on the ground.  Anyway, a muggle airliner landed with a cue ball lodged in its wing."

Harry laughed even harder, and finally asked, "So did he conjure a replacement?"

Ginny snorted.  "Actually, he gave up.  He's lost 13 balls – the cue ball was the only one found yet."

Before Harry could react, a voice called from the living room, "Harry Potter."

Harry quickly took advantage of the situation and left his wife with Vincent and the casserole.  When he entered the room, Harry took in the frail face of Dumbledore sticking from the flames.

"Albus!" Harry called, smiling.

"Harry," Dumbledore replied, "We've got a problem.  I'd like to talk with you at work tomorrow."

Harry frowned. "What is it – can you tell me over the floo?"

Dumbledore took a moment, and then finally said, "It's about the Sphere of Madness."

All the color left Harry's face, who took a moment to collect himself.  "I can be there in two minutes."

"No," Dumbledore enigmatically replied, "It's not urgent."

Harry wanted to ask what Dumbledore was talking about, but his profile had already retreated from the flames.  Ginny came out from the kitchen and saw the worried look on her husband's face.  "What's wrong?"

Harry, still puzzled, responded, "I don't know.  I'll find out tomorrow, though."

"Dumbledore said something about a Sphere of Madness, and you sounded really worried."

Harry grimaced and sat down.  "Are you sure you want to hear about this?" Harry asked slowly.

Ginny studied his face carefully.  "No.  But you look just like you did back at Hogwarts before you ran off to do something heroically stupid.  So you should probably tell me."

Harry couldn't help but smile.  "I'll have to work on hiding that better."  However, his tone turned grim and he continued, "You know that I defeated Voldemort at the end of my 7th year.  But what isn't known was that he wasn't killed – he was trapped.  The sphere of madness was guarded by a powerful spell, but apparently it was broken and Voldemort is loose again."

Ginny's mouth dropped in shock.  "You… You-Know-Who is back?"

Harry frowned and said, "I don't know.  I assume that's what Dumbledore wants to talk about."

Ginny gulped nervously.  "You-Know-Who is back?  19 years, and he's back again?"

Harry quickly said, "We don't know that.  I just know that Dumbledore wants to talk to me about the sphere tomorrow.  It's far too early to worry about this."

Ginny and Harry looked at each other for a few long seconds, neither one wanting to show how nervous they were about this.  Ginny finally softly said, "I think the casserole's done."

Harry and Ginny talked through dinner, but both of them knew that their words weren't doing very well at hiding the silence behind them.

---

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	2. Department of Mystery Security

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

"Time to wake up, honey."

Harry groggily sat up in bed.  This was unusual – Ginny almost never woke up before him.  He looked at her, and realized why she had woken him.  "You want to know what's going on."

Ginny grinned sheepishly and nodded.

Harry smiled and kissed her.  "I'll take a break and come over to the Misuse Office as soon as I find out what's going on.  But…"

"But I can't tell anyone," Ginny finished.

"Simply unspeakable," Harry shot back, grinning.

"19 years, Harry.  19 years!" Ginny groaned.

"As much as you love my jokes," Harry said, "I have to go talk with Dumbledore.  He's probably waiting in the lobby under armed guard already.  I thought Renard was grim, but his daughter Nora Joss is twice as bad."

"Nora?" Ginny asked, "Was she the one who accused you of being a Death Eater?"

"Yeah," Harry laughed, "and she still looks at my forearm for the dark mark."

Ginny shook her head and asked, "Breakfast here or at the cafeteria?"

"Cafeteria," Harry shot back, "They've got Oxford Marmalade today.  I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

Harry quickly showered, threw on some robes, and grabbed Ginny's hand by the fireplace.  "Ministry Cafeteria," Ginny called, and Harry quickly tucked his elbows in as the floo network whisked him away to breakfast.

"Harry, Ginny!" someone greeted as they emerged from the fireplace.

The pair smiled.  "Hermione," Ginny called back, smiling.

"How's the ministry library coming?" Harry asked.

Hermione grimaced.  "Not well.  It seems so small, having gone to Hogwarts.  We've only got 5,000 books, and we've only been able to order another 1,000 within the month."

"Why, that's only a few weeks' worth of reading!" Harry joked.

Hermione exasperatingly said, "You shouldn't have hung around Ron so much.  He's rubbed off on you."

"How is Ron?" Harry asked, "I haven't seen him since the last reunion.  Is he…"

Hermione's grin faded a little.  "He's getting better.  St. Mungos said that he can remove the brace within a few months."

Ginny frowned.  "Do they know yet whether he'll still be able to play?"

Hermione answered, "They don't know yet.  But still, he can manage the team practices without flying."

"I don't know," Harry replied, "The practice coach is supposed to be able to show the players what they're supposed to do.  It'll be hard to do that without flying."

Ginny and Hermione both glowered at Harry, who shrunk a little under the glares.

Ginny quickly changed the subject and said, "Did you hear about the airplane?  With the cue ball?"

"Don't tell me," Hermione grinned, "it was Arthur."

Harry gave his goodbyes, leaving the two to talk about enchanted muggle objects – he had to rescue Dumbledore from security.  However, he had to stop within a few minutes later at a large metal door.  "Submit for inspection," the guard at the door listlessly ordered.

Harry sighed and let the guard sweep over him with several magical devices.  "You know, back 20 years ago, we could get in with just a code phrase."

The guard nodded sullenly, and said, "Passcard please."

Harry handed his small identification wafer, and said, "What's Nora coming up with next to over-identify us?"

"That's secret," came an authoritarian voice from behind him.  Harry turned around, and saw the unfortunately familiar figure of a squat, blond-haired wizard glaring at him.

"Hello, Nora," Harry greeted in a monotone voice, while the guard tried not to smile at the situation.

"You seem to take the need for security in this department for granted, Mr. Potter," Nora primly stated, "You seem to forget this department demands absolute secrecy.  We cannot afford to have any unauthorized intruders!"

Harry couldn't resist asking, "What about authorized intruders?"

The guard lost his battle to hide a smile, but Nora Joss was too busy glaring at Harry to notice.  "Double check him," she ordered to the guard, and Harry could swear she had a hint of a vindictive smile on her face.

The guard hid a sigh and repeated the measurements with the security tools.  "He's clear."

Harry grinned and said, "Too bad, Nora.  One of these days you'll catch me.  I'll talk to you later – I've got some spying to do for the death eaters."  He entered through the doors, escorted all the way down the hall by Nora's glare.  Finally, he entered his office and saw he wasn't alone.

"Albus!" Harry greeted.

"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore responded.  The ex-headmaster was far frailer than when he was at Hogwarts, but he still had the twinkle in his eyes.

"I don't believe this," Harry laughed, "How did you get past all the security?  I can't imagine they let you in easily!"

Dumbledore smiled and asked, "Security?"

Harry laughed harder, wondering how Dumbledore managed to get more eccentric each year.  Albus knew that Nora had given the guards kill-on-sight orders for anyone not authorized in the department, yet he was calmly sitting in an office almost directly in the center of the building.

"As I told you before," Dumbledore started, "There's a problem with the Sphere of Madness.  It's been opened."

---

Note: I always post two chapters to begin with, so there isn't any review feedback yet.

Feel free to review


	3. Searching for Nora Joss

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

Harry involuntarily swore and ran over to the fireplace, needing to make some vital calls.  "I thought you said this wasn't urgent!" he loudly said, "How could this not be urgent?!"

Dumbledore calmly said, "Please sit down, Harry.  This isn't urgent how you're thinking of it.  The sphere was opened almost 20 years ago."

"WHAT?" Harry yelled.

"Please, calm down," Dumbledore softly said, "The sphere was guarded by your department for all these years, but no-one has actually entered the inner chamber housing the sphere.  The chamber was sealed, and the strongest anti-apparition wards ever created since Hogwarts' inception were placed in the area.  Finally, guards were posted in the area leading to the chamber."

Harry thought a minute and asked, "What happened?  The sphere was intact and no one entered the chamber.  What went wrong?  And why did we find out now that Voldemort escaped?"

"There was an attempt to breach the chamber.  A single death eater gained entry to the building, and then proceeded to the entryway.  He managed to kill two of the guards, and was only barely taken down by the third.  When Nora Joss arrived on scene, she entered the chamber to ascertain whether the attack succeeded.  And she found that the sphere was indeed empty."

"So the attack succeeded?  Or… or did Nora open the sphere herself?" Harry wondered.

Dumbledore shook his head.  "I'd like to run a hypothetical situation by you."  Harry forced himself to calm down and sat down behind his desk.

"Let's say Voldemort is released from the Sphere of Madness," Dumbledore started, "but he's freed by someone from the future.  Then, Voldemort spends his time in secrecy, gaining enough power to open a portal to the past and free himself."

"What?" Harry asked in amazement, "Is that possible?  How could he get out to free himself?"

"It all depends on your point of view," Dumbledore simply said.

"I still don't see how this isn't urgent," Harry complained, "Voldemort is free, and we need to stop him as soon as possible!"

"You're not thinking things through," Dumbledore chided, "We know how to stop him already."

Harry pondered this, and suddenly sat upright.  "Of course!  All we have to do is stop him from going back in time!  Then he can't release himself from the sphere."

Dumbledore smiled, although Harry thought there was a cryptic tint to it.  "Very good.  There are only two things you need to do.  First, you must determine the exact time and place Voldemort will open the portal.  Then, you must devise a way of destroying Voldemort for good."

"Me?" Harry asked, "Don't you mean us?"

"You're too kind," Dumbledore chuckled, "but I'm just too old.  I can only give you this to help you fulfill your destiny."  
Harry looked at the odd amulet that Dumbledore delicately handed to him.  It was very odd, and Harry had never seen anything like it.  It was a simple circle, but it gleamed prismatically.  The colors changed from one section to another, and there didn't seem to be an end or beginning to the amulet.  It seemed to imply there was no start or finish to anything, and Harry wondered why the amulet was crafted in this shape.

Harry dutifully put the circle in his robe pocket and said, "I think I'll need someplace besides the ministry to work on this."

Dumbledore smiled and extracted a roll of parchment from his robe.  "Headmaster McGonagall will be expecting you tomorrow.  I've already arranged some time off with the department."

"Hogwarts?" Harry asked in confusion.

"They do have the largest library in England.  While they don't have many senior wizards to collaborate with, you can always call the ministry if you have questions."

Harry admitted it made sense.  Dumbledore smiled again, and said, "I think it's time I leave."  Harry had to laugh as the ex-headmaster transfigured himself into what looked exactly like Nora Joss.

Almost immediately, a knock came on the door, and Harry hesitantly called out, "Come in."  _How does he do that – that timing?_

Three guards immediately went in, wands drawn.  Dumbledore authoritatively called to the guards, "There is an imposter in the compound which looks exactly like me.  Find them, now!  And I want them alive!"

Harry fought not to laugh as the three guards saluted and left the office.  Dumbledore chuckled, said, "I'll see you later, Harry."  Finally, he transfigured himself again into an exact image of one of the guards who had just left the room and departed himself.

Harry quickly rifled through the paperwork on his desk, deciding to handle a few of the more pressing matters before leaving for Hogwarts.  After he had delegated the Anomaly of Archon and the Dunkirk Disappearance investigations, he left his office and headed towards the lobby, where he could Floo over to the Misuse Office.

"I'm telling you, IT'S ME!" screamed a voice from the lobby.

"Maam, hold still.  I need to check for Polyjuice, Self-Transfiguration, and External-Transfiguration," insisted another voice loudly.  Harry rounded the corner, and saw Nora Joss was held helplessly against the corner by three security guards.

Finally, the three managed to scan the outraged security captain, and the leader said, "Nope.  She's clear."

As Harry stepped towards the fireplace, he loudly ordered, "We cannot afford to have unauthorized intruders.  Double check her."

He quickly called, "Misuse of Muggle Artifacts" before Nora could kill him.

---

Well, things have just gotten interesting… well, sort of.

Kaelli: Who opened the sphere indeed…

Oh: Calm down – I'm really excited about this story's plot, so I'm going to finish – even just for myself.

Kim: Hmmm… Is Dumbledore Voldemort in disguise… Hmmm….

Olivia: To tell the truth, I hadn't given much thought to kids, but it does make sense that they would have some.  I'll probably throw them in some point in the future, but the main point of the story isn't Hogwarts, Little Potters, or the Ministry.  The main point is the sphere's opening…

Lakergurl13: Thanks!

M.C: Same thing as Olivia – they're coming up, but they won't have to big of a spotlight.

Beefywpac: Thanks!

Ariel: Wow, a lot of people want to see the little Potters.


	4. Oooh Neville

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

"Has mum given you trouble about the pool table yet?" Ginny asked into the fireplace to her father as Harry silently crept into his wife's office.  He quickly put his finger to his lips to signal Arthur to ignore him.

"Well, yes," admitted Arthur, trying his best to not look over Ginny's shoulder, "She transfigured it into a couch.  But she still doesn't know about the toaster...  Anyway, I'll talk to you later.  Say hi to Harry for me."

As soon as Arthur retreated into the fire, Harry put his arms around Ginny's waist and kissed her on the neck from behind.

"Oooh, Neville," Ginny sighed.

Harry involuntarily stiffened and sputtered, "Neville?"

Ginny turned around and giggled.  "That was a little too easy."

"Not funny," Harry said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"That doesn't stop you from your lame department of mysteries joke," Ginny retorted with a smile.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked back, "That joke is unspeakably funny!"

Ginny crossed her arms, but couldn't help but smile a little.  "What did Dumbledore say?"

Harry sat down, his humor gone.  "The sphere has been opened."

"What?" Ginny gaped, "So You-Know-Who is out?"  Ginny quickly walked over to the fireplace, probably to make the same calls Harry had intended in his office.

"Wait," Harry pleaded, "It's not what you think."

Ginny stared at him incredulously.  "What do you mean?"

Harry took a deep breath before explaining.  "The sphere was actually broken many years ago.  However, Dumbledore thinks that Voldemort broke it himself."

Ginny's brow furrowed.  "How did Voldemort break it from the inside?  He didn't even have a wand."

"He didn't break it from the inside."  Seeing the confusion on his wife's face, Harry explained, "Dumbledore thinks Voldemort was broken out by a future version of himself.  That's why there haven't been very many death eater attacks – he's building up his strength to travel back in time and open the sphere himself."

"Then where's the other one?" Ginny asked.

It was Harry's turn to be confused.  "What do you mean, 'the other one'?"

Ginny slowly said, "You know that it's impossible to travel forward in time.  So if Voldemort traveled back in time to release himself, there will be two of him.  One who was released from the sphere however many years ago.  And an older one that has already gone back in time.  Where's the older one, then?"

Harry grimaced, realizing he hadn't thought this through.  "Er, I don't know.  Maybe he's just staying out of the way until his plan succeeds?"

Ginny thought a minute.  "We need to ask Hermione.  She knows the most about this type of thing."

"No," Harry decided.  "The main problem isn't how time unfolds.  I only need to worry about two things.  Where and when Voldemort will open the portal, and how do I stop him before he does it."

"I?" Ginny fumed, "What makes you think you're doing this alone?"

"Because this is my fault!" Harry yelled.

Ginny's mouth hung open in shock; Harry had never raised his voice before to her.  "I'm sorry," Harry softly said.

"I don't know how this is your fault," Ginny firmly said.

Harry sighed.  Only Dumbledore and Hermione knew about his moment of weakness twenty years ago.  "You don't know what happened at the end of my seventh year."

"Yes I do," insisted Ginny, "You sealed Voldemort up so he couldn't get out."

"That's not everything," Harry quietly explained, "When I was about to seal the sphere, I was overcome by fury.  I wanted to put that… that… I wanted to put Voldemort through all the pain he put everyone else through.  I filled that sphere with suffering."

"So?" Ginny asked, "What's wrong with that?  He certainly deserved it!"

"But don't you see?" pleaded Harry, "If I hadn't done that, Voldemort might not have escaped.  And Dumbledore says that if I had filled it with kindness… Tom Riddle might have been salvaged."

"You still haven't explained why you're going to do this alone," Ginny pointed out.

"I'm only going to Hogwarts to investigate," Harry said.  "I'll just be going over for several hours each day to spend in the library.  It's not going to be dangerous, and you still have to go to work."

Ginny complained "I can take a few we…"

"Ginny," Harry softly said, "I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Ginny finally relented and with a smile said, "That will be a first."

Harry replied primly, "That was unspeakably rude!"

"Fine.  You can go alone," Ginny said firmly, "provided you give up that horrid joke!"

---

A/N: Wow, I've already started getting some conspiracy theories; Nora Joss and Dumbledore have already fallen under suspicion.  Keep 'em coming!

A/N2: I'm starting to get really excited about this story, and actually have it all mapped out.  So I'll be updating more often now.

Lakergurl13: Actually, Dumbledore believes that Voldemort only travels in time once – just to go back and release himself from the sphere.  Hopefully this chapter explained it a little better.

Olivia: Wow – you're the first that says they like the cliffhangers.  Well, to tell you the truth, I've generally avoided them, but I'm not really that worried.  If I was updating once a month, I might care.

Kaelli: Nora = Evil?  Hmmm…  I'm glad you like Dumbledore's escape!

Feel free to review


	5. Viktor and the Spy

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

The next day, Harry decided to let Ginny sleep in for the weekend.  He gave her a goodbye kiss on her cheek, and he smiled as she murmured in her sleep from it.  Harry wrote a quick note for her, letting her know that he'd be back for lunch.

After a quick apparition to Hogsmeade, Harry started a leisurely walk down the cobblestone path to the castle.  For several minutes, Harry was 15 years old again, and he was just coming back from Butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks.  As the silhouette of the castle rose against the dawn sunrise, he saw that the grounds had barely changed in the last two decades.  The greenhouses were still there, and the small hut that used to be Hagrid's house had smoke billowing out of the tiny chimney.  Harry smiled as he saw that the quidditch pitch was already occupied; some captain obviously was pushing their team like Oliver Wood used to.  Harry squinted, trying to make out the robe colors.  They looked blue, but they could've also been green – it was impossible to tell for sure.

Harry sighed.  Even with all the attacks and dire situations at Hogwarts, it was still a time of innocence.  It had been forever since he worried about trivial issues like the Quidditch practices and Yule Balls.  Even with Voldemort gone, the Department of Mysteries still had critical situations that needed to be handled delicately.

Harry pulled out his watch, and saw that he was running a bit early.  He slowly smiled, which spread into a grin.  He left the path, and started walking towards the quidditch pitch.  As he got close enough, he saw that the robes were indeed blue – and apparently Ravenclaw had a reserve team, because they were playing a scrimmage against themselves.

Harry sat down on the grassy field, and leaned back to look up at the action.  Harry had to admit that this was almost more fun than watching a league game.  In the professional leagues, it was almost as if every player was too good.  But the school game had, well, real players.  They made mistakes; they didn't always do the 'best' move.

Harry laid back under the sunrise, silently taking in the constantly shifting game above him.  He was almost to the point of napping peacefully when a player yelled, "Hey!  There's a spy!"

Harry looked up, and saw the 14 Ravenclaw players had stopped their game.  Harry grimaced, trying to decide what his best option was.  If he stayed much longer, the team would fly down to see who he was.  Or he could leave, and hope that the team wouldn't try to follow.  Harry suddenly realized he was supposed to be in the library, reading up on Voldemort's plan.

Harry quickly drew his wand and conjured a dense smoke around him, after which he made himself invisible.  When the smoke cleared, the students all gasped – the man had vanished somehow.

"He disapparated!" yelled a small girl.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Susan!" chimed in another girl, clutching her broomstick, "You can't disapparate on Hogwarts grounds!"

Harry smiled and couldn't resist yelling, "Yeah!  Haven't you read Hogwarts: A History?"

"Who said that?" Susan asked.

Harry quickly ran into the castle, not waiting for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team to figure out what happened.  When he got inside and took the invisibility charm off himself, he found McGonagall staring at him.

"You're 15 minutes late, Mr. Potter."  Somehow, McGonagall's prim tone put him back 20 years, and he was actually a little nervous.

"Sorry, headmaster," Harry said back.

McGonagall's lips twitched mildly, in what looked to almost be a smile.  "Minerva will work just fine."

Harry didn't know for sure whether McGonagall was looking amused, but he said, "Then you don't have to call me Mr. Potter, either."

McGonagall, if anything, grew more amused.  "I'm sure you remember where the library is.  May I ask you something?  Do you remember Viktor Krum here at Hogwarts?"

Harry was puzzled by her seemingly unrelated question, and said, "A little.  Why?"

Harry could swear McGonagall was grinning beneath her stony exterior.  "Nothing, Harry.  Nothing at all.  I do believe you should get started."

---

Olivia: It's a good thing I picked 19 years after they graduated, since it makes it very easy to decide where the 'Little Potter's are.

Kaelli: Sorry, Kaelli, but I'm going to leave the toaster bit up to the reader's imagination.  Also, Harry hasn't given up the Unspeakable joke for 19 years – he's probably not going to give it up in the span of my story.  Then again, he's not at the Department of Mysteries anymore.

Feel free to review


	6. Good Looking and Famous

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

Harry walked up the main staircase, wondering what the headmaster was talking about.  Did Viktor Krum have anything to do with the recent – well, not-so-recent – events?  Harry absently found his way inside the library and found himself in the section regarding Time Turners, which was only a single bookshelf.  Sighing, Harry pulled out the first book, Passing the Past: Time Turners, and sat down at a table in the corner.

"Who's that?" came a quiet voice from the other side of the room.

"I don't know.  I haven't seen him before," replied her friend.

Harry tried to ignore their talking, but the library was absolutely silent besides them and their conversation cut through his attention.

"Is that… is that a scar on his forehead?" the first girl asked.

"I know who that is!" the second called a bit too loudly, which earned a nasty glare from Madame Pince.  She meekly bowed her head, but whispered something to her friend.  Harry looked up and saw that the blond haired girl in Hufflepuff robes was whispering to her friend, a brown haired Hufflepuff.  The brunette's eyes widened slightly, and the two hurriedly left the library.

Harry was a little bit worried, but he engrossed himself back in Passing the Past.

**_Table of Contents_**

_Introduction…_

_The Basics…_

_Time Paradoxes…_

_Tracking Time Turners…_

_Historical Significance…_

_Appendices…_

_Index…_

Harry quickly flipped to Tracking Time Turners on page 47, but quickly grew disappointed.  It didn't give any information on tracing time travels, but merely how to track down the turner's physical location.  He supposed it was useful if someone traveled back in time with a turner and you needed to find out where the artifact ended up, but it certainly didn't help him out any.

Harry put the book back on the shelf, and pulled out two more – _Shawn Smith and the Time Traveler from Sandy Shore_ and _Hyperbolic Temporal Mechanics for Squibs_.  Unfortunately, the first book turned out to be some sort of creative nonfiction, and most was devoted to eloquent adjectives that described the scenery; Harry couldn't tell whether anything actually happened, or whether the whole story was just some very long description of what Sandy Shore looked like.  The second was even worse.  Half was written for a complete moron; the other half was too incomprehensible to even understand.  Fifteen minutes later, all Harry had learned was that Sandy Shore had glistening sunsets that would make doves cry, and that time was arranged in a non-linear, 5th dimensional orthogonal matrices – whatever that meant.

However, as Harry was about to put the two books away, he noticed several students looking at him from another table.  Harry looked to the right – another table was looking at him over their books.  And another.  He suddenly noticed that the library appeared to have filled up, and he was the center of attention.  Harry looked down at his watch – it was 11:25.  _Time for an early lunch Harry ruefully decided, and quickly left the library._

Over the next several days, he was beginning to see what McGonagall was talking about with Krum.  Every time he entered the library, 15 minutes later girls would be sitting at tables within eyesight, giggling away.  He tried moving to separate rooms, but they would gradually trickle in as well.  Harry considered duplicating his invisibility trick and vanishing from sight, but knew that if he tried it, he'd get an earful of McGonagall – 17 or 37 years old didn't matter – for breaking the no-magic rule in the corridors and library.

At 4:38, Harry decided to give up for the day, and traveled back down the path to Hogsmeade.

As soon as he flooed through the Hogsmeade public fireplace, he heard Ginny tease from the kitchen, "How was reading today?"  Ever since he had been spending his days browsing the Hogwarts library, she had poked fun at him, even 'accidentally' calling him Hermione a few times.

"Not good," Harry sighed, "A lot of the students try to hang around the library like when Viktor Krum came for the Triwizard Tournament."

"A lot of students?" Ginny asked coyly, "I don't suppose you mean the female half of Hogwarts…"

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," Harry said, exasperated.

"What did you expect?" Ginny chortled.  "You're famous.  And it doesn't hurt that you're good-looking."

"Famous," Harry slowly said, a smile creeping into his face.  "Good looking and famous…"

Ginny sternly said, "Don't tell me I've gone and given you an ego."

"Not an ego," Harry grinned, "But an idea…"

---

What?  I didn't get any conspiracy theories.  Hmmm…  I'm going to start a contest.

It's the 'Who opened the sphere?' contest.  The winner… well, I don't really have anything for the winner.  Still, let's see some guesses!

Lakergurl13: Well, I guess this chapter answered the Viktor question.  It might create a conflict if Voldemort saw himself open the sphere.  On the other hand, it might provide him with a cue of what he needs to do (build up his power to open the sphere).  I can't tell you whether or not he does, though.

Kaelli: Whoa, calm down about Viktor.  He's not going to kill Harry off in a grisly fashion involving bubotuber puss and a rabid Hippogrif.  Hmmm…

Beefywpac: Thanks!

Feel free to review


	7. Hermione's Ideal Date: Lockhart with a D...

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

For the first time in many days, Harry was looking forward to spending his time in the library.  Not because he was anxious to spend endless hours looking through dusty tomes, but because he was anxious to see whether his plan would work or not.  Harry walked into the library and sat down with a not-quite-smothered grin.  Although a group of around 15 girls had again found him, he was ready.

"Have you met my friend, Kenneth?" Harry called out to the group.  Several girls gaped at him – that was the first time he had actually talked to them.  A few of the less stunned mutely shook their heads.

Just then, the library doors opened up and admitted an impossibly good looking man in his early twenties.  As if on cue, the collective crowd of women turned to face the new arrival and Harry stifled a laugh at the naked admiration on their faces.  And unless he was mistaken, one of them was actually lightly drooling.

_If they only knew_ Harry mused _that 'Kenneth' was Hogwarts: A History twenty minutes ago._  He had transfigured the book to a cross between himself and his memory of Gilderoy Lockhart, and then altered the appearance even further, making 'Kenneth' possibly the best looking guy in England.  And after giving him an appropriate personality (taken in large part from Lockhart as well) there was only one more thing to do…

"You might have heard of him," Harry offhandedly said, "He defeated a banshee when he was nine years old.  He's a dragon-slayer for the ministry now."  Harry smirked and said loudly to the semi-fictional character, "Ken, I'm pretty busy.  I don't suppose you could talk with these girls."

Kenneth flashed a winning smile, which made him look even more like Lockhart, and smarmingly said, "I would be delighted!"  The girls didn't believe their luck, and followed Kenneth to a table in another section of the library.  Harry couldn't believe his luck, either, and a large grin spread across his face.  He could work in peace, now!

Harry searched the library for several hours, although he didn't notice how much time had passed until he shut the twelfth book he had skimmed through and glanced at his watch.  2:30!  He had even missed lunch.  Harry started to go down to the kitchens, when he heard a small creak from the floorboards within the room.

"Hello?" Harry asked hesitantly, looking around.  There didn't appear to be anyone in the room.  Just as Harry was about to get back to packing up the books again, the wood resettled again.  Harry went through the possibilities, and figured out what was going on.  He quickly modified his eyes to see invisible people and looked around again.  Sure enough, someone familiar was staring at him.

"There appears to be an intruder," Harry loudly said, while trying not to look at the uninvited guest.  "It's my duty as a responsible citizen to bring them to justice.  _Titillo__!_"  Harry cast the spell at the 'intruder' and was shortly rewarded be an involuntary snort of laughter.

Harry smiled and called out, "Had enough yet?  _Titillo__!_" Where there was snorting before, now there was full fledged laughter.

"No, please!" the guest called out through their laughter, "Not the tickling charm!"

"_Titillo__!" Harry called again, trying not to laugh himself._

Finally, the guest pulled off her invisibility cloak and choked out, "That's not nice, dad!"

Harry finally relented with the tickling charm.  His daughter crossed her arms, but was still smiling.  "Serves you right," Harry said, "Sneaking around in that cloak.  Just imagine what your mom would do if she caught you, Janet."

"Really?" Janet said disbelievingly, "She told me about all the stuff you used to pull with it!"

"All lies," Harry said, although he couldn't help but grinning guiltily as he did so.

His daughter obviously saw through it, and crossed her arms again.  "Ok," Harry admitted, "maybe I did sneak around a bit."

Janet smiled, and Harry quickly said, "Still, try to exercise a little restraint with it."

"Why?" Janet asked coyly.

"Because," Harry replied gravely, "You never know when you're going to get hit with… _Titillo__!_"

Janet burst into laugher again, doubled over on the floor.  However, before she could try to get her wand out and perform the counter-curse, Madame Pince came storming over and yelled, "Mister Potter!  I believe even you should know that there are NO SPELLS ALLOWED IN THE LIBRARY!"

"I'm sorry," Harry said, trying not to grin.

"And you," rounded Pince, "I don't believe that cloak will be needed here!"

"I'm sorry," Janet replied, although Harry was able to hear the tint of amusement.

Fortunately Pince couldn't and marched off.  Harry smiled and asked, "Where's your sister at?"

Janet grimaced.  "She and her friends are mooning over some guy named Ken."

---

Ok, everyone.  There's your glimpse of the little potters.  Hopefully nobody resents the fact that one of them is spending her time going after a Lockhart imitation.  Also, I apologize for the delayed posting.

So far, we have several suspects for the sphere-opener.  They are: Dumbledore, Nora Joss, Teenage Fan-Girls, and Harry himself.  Keep 'em coming.

Lakergurl13: It is an odd sentence structure.  I think the thing that makes it that way is that I purposely threw 'back' in there – sort of a bad pun.  Yeah, he's worried about the behavior of the girls.  Hmmm… looks like something I needed to lead into better…

Interesting theory.  I can see it now…

_"Voldemort…" Harry whispered_

_"That's right," Voldemort hissed harshly._

_"But… but how," Harry stammered, "I made sure you couldn't let yourself out!"_

_"You're forgetting one thing," Voldemort slyly replied._

_Harry looked at the new figure coming in from behind the Dark Lord, and couldn't believe his eyes.  "Mary-Sue?" Harry asked in disbelief._

_"I'm sorry!" Mary pleaded, "But Voldemort promised me autographed pictures of you!  How could I resist?" _

Kim: Ooh, another interesting theory!  Yeah, I suppose Harry would be the most unexpected character to open the sphere.  Don't worry; the entire story is only going to be around 10k words and we're about halfway through the plot.  On the other hand, I can guarantee you won't find out who opened the sphere until the final chapter…

Feel free to review


	8. Rune Diagrams and Lake Eulogies

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

The next week, Harry still hadn't found anything in any of the books he had looked through.  He would've given up, except Dumbledore seemed to believe there was a way to track Voldemort.  However, before he could get to the library, he was waylaid by McGonagall.  "Good morning, Head… Minerva."

"Good morning.  I need to tell you something."

Harry looked carefully at the headmaster, and saw that she was looking business like, or at least even more business like than usual.  "Yes?" Harry asked, wondering what was going on.

"Albus wants to talk with you.  It seems to be his time," McGonagall said slowly.

"His time?" Harry asked.  "You don't mean… he's not dying?"

"Harry," McGonagall gently said, "Albus turned 171 last month.  To tell the truth, I thought this time would arrive many years ago.  Over the last several years, he's seemed to hang on by sheer will.  But over the last week he's rapidly withered away, almost like he welcomes death.

Harry was bewildered.  A part of him knew this day would come – Dumbledore wasn't going to live forever.  But another part didn't believe Dumbledore would ever die, that he would be a permanent part of his world.  "Where's he at?" Harry asked a little sorrowfully.

McGonagall had a sad sort of smile and replied, "Actually, he asked to spend his last few days in his old office.  The password is Sugar Quill."

Harry smiled – the password was a fitting touch – and he quietly made his way to see Dumbledore.  As he got up to the headmaster's office, he gave the password to the stone gargoyle that was still guarding the entryway.

"Hello Harry," Dumbledore said as Harry entered the room.  Harry gasped – Dumbledore's form was much frailer than when he was in the Department of Mysteries.  His skin had gone slightly sallow; his skin looked drawn over his bones; his hair looked hard and brittle.  Surely his time was almost up.

"Albus, you've looked better," Harry admitted.

"I know," Dumbledore rasped.  "Have you found how to trac…" Dumbledore burst into a weak hacking cough.

Harry quickly said, "No, I haven't found out how to track Voldemort."

A painful smile appeared fleetingly on Dumbledore's face, and then he said, "Search the restricted section."

Harry studied Dumbledore for a minute before asking, "Why?  Do you know if there's a book in there?"

Dumbledore smiled and closed his eyes, but did not answer the question.  After a few minutes, Harry hesitantly said, "Dumbledore, is there a book in there?"

Dumbledore didn't open his eyes, and Harry quietly said, "N… no.  _Enervate.  Percuro."_  Yet the ex-headmaster didn't stir.

The memorial for Dumbledore was to be quiet affair – at least McGonagall had planned it that way.  However, it looked as if almost every living alumnus of Hogwarts over the last several decades appeared to be present, and the large crowds around the Great Lake were obviously stretching McGonagall's logistics.  Harry and Ginny smiled as they saw Hermione looking disapprovingly at the overburdened house-elves trying to get everyone served.

Harry turned around as he heard a distinctive clinking sound and said, "Hey, Ron!  When are you going to ditch the brace?"

Ron put on a friendly scowl and said, "The Mungo quacks say I need it for another couple of months, but I figure I'll give it two weeks."

"You will do no such thing, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione hissed; she was obviously upset by Ron's statement.

Ron's cheeks flushed and he retorted, "And I'm sure you'll see that I won't!  Imagine your wife telling Mungos to encrypt the brace!  I still haven't figured out where the runes are from!"

Seeing the look of confusion on Harry and Ginny's faces, Hermione smiled and said, "I told the doctor to put a puzzle on the brace.  It can't be taken off unless the solution is given."

Ron angrily gestured to his leg, almost falling over awkwardly doing so.  Harry looked down and saw an odd rune diagram.

**A/N**: I apologize, but I haven't been able to find a way to easily portray the chart in fanfiction.net.  ff.net doesn't allow for images (img tags), it doesn't allow for tables (table tags), and it doesn't allow for a lot of odd looking characters.  So I've posted the diagram as an image at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~kweber/rune.jpg  If it's no longer there (which will probably happen when ISU removes my account after I graduate) you can email me and I'll send you a copy.  5 points if you figure out what it is; 20 points if you can actually solve it (without a computer helping you out)

Harry studied the unusual chart.  While he was considering it, Ron continued on angrily, "I'm thinking it's a code – but I haven't figured out what the runes or colors mean."

Harry looked up from the brace in disbelief.  How could Ron not have figured out what the puzzle was?  Ron – of all people!  Harry's lips involuntarily curved into a smile, and Ron disbelievingly said, "You… you know what it is!"

Hermione looked sharply at Harry and said, "Don't you even THINK about telling him."

Harry couldn't help but laugh and Ron asked, "You don't know, do you?" obviously unsure whether Harry had figured it out or not.

After doing his best to stifle his smile, Harry said, "No.  I, er, don't know what the puzzle is."  Ron looked at him skeptically, and Harry said, "Why?  It seems you've been working on this for a long time – did you think I could just look at it and know the solution?"

Ron looked a little downcast.  "No, I guess not."

However, as Hermione and Ron went to look around the grounds, Harry pulled Hermione aside and whispered, "Ron honestly hasn't figured out what the puzzle is?"

Hermione smiled and said, "No.  You won't…"

Harry grinned and shook his head.  "I want Ron to make a full recovery just like you.  And that's a lot more likely if he follows the orders from St. Mungos."

Hermione whispered her thanks, and went to catch back up with Ron.

Harry and Ginny wandered the grounds, catching up with the various friends they had back at Hogwarts, although it wasn't long before McGonagall's voice cut across the crowd.  "Albus Dumbledore," she began, catching everyone's attention, "I could tell you all about what he's accomplished.  I could tell you about Grindelwald, Dragon's Blood, or the Draught of Rest.  But I don't think that any of those things really show who he truly was."

"I remember my first day as a professor.  Like most of you, I had heard about all the amazing things he had accomplished and was already in awe of him.  But when I met him, he wasn't what I expected.  His password to his office was always a candy of some sort – not a very secure way to lock his sanctum.  And he decided to create a school song, which everyone would sing to different tunes – how did that help students learn?  Or what about the 'few words before the banquet'?  Toast.  Hiccup.  Porky.  Niffler.  When he said those words, my jaw fell.  This was the man who defeated one of the greatest dark wizards of all time?"

"I didn't understand at first – I couldn't – that Albus was far wiser than I had ever imagined.  I only began to understand when I saw the school transform through the years.  An aura of magic settled in – not the simple magic I taught, but a far greater one.  A sense of the unexpected, of mystery, but with a sense of homeliness – like sitting comfortably by a warm fire.  Albus Dumbledore put a bit of himself into this castle, and I finally realized how great the man truly was.  Not because of Alchemy or Grindelwald, but because of Lemon Drops and Hoggy Warty Hogwarts.  Finally, I'd like to close the day off with a few words:  Silver.  Humbugs.  Lumpy.  Toothbrush."

At the closing of McGonagall's eulogy, Harry and Ginny made their way back to Hogsmeade, and Harry noted that there weren't many dry eyes in attendance.

---

Long chapter… and it's hard to write a eulogy for Dumbledore.

DragonLord: Thanks!

Lakergurl13:  Hmmm… when you put it that way, what are those Hogwarts women thinking?  I'm just glad I didn't get any pro-slash flames asking for the males at Hogwarts to ogle him as well.

Feel free to review!  


	9. Countdown

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

Harry made his way back to Hogwarts the next week, and the weather seemed to fit the mood.  Instead of the beautiful morning sunrise he was accustomed to, the sky was a gloomy overcast of gray.  The cobblestone path was the same as the last several weeks, yet Harry wasn't 15, even in his imagination.  He wasn't even in his thirties – he felt as though he had aged many years over the past couple of days.  And when he passed the Hufflepuff Quidditch practice, he didn't feel an urge to watch, but instead made his way to the castle entrance.

Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said, and as soon as he entered the library (and re-made Ken) he made his way to the Restricted Section.  However, as he walked by the third bookshelf, he felt a mild burning on his hip.  Yelping in surprise, Harry fumbled about in his robes.  Finally, he pulled out the amulet given to him by Dumbledore.  It was extremely warm in his hand and seemed to be glowing lightly.  Harry looked down, and saw that his left hand had somehow snaked its way towards the bookshelf.  Somewhat confused, Harry withdrew his hand and started to step away.  Suddenly, the talisman grew blindingly bright and searingly hot, yet Harry couldn't avert his eyes or drop the amulet.  The sensation grew, until abruptly stopping.  Harry looked at the talisman in his hand – it looked exactly as it did when Dumbledore gave it to him and was again glinting prismatically from the sunlight filtering in from the library windows.

Amazingly, his left hand seemed to have pulled a book from the shelf without him realizing it.  It was pure white, contrasting greatly with the darker tones of the rest of the books.  Harry looked at the book, considering it.  However, he quickly smiled as he saw the title: 'Tracing Temporal Telltales and Tracking Time Travels' by Salle du Dumb-Bore.  Harry opened the book and let out an involuntary cry as his head jerked towards the book.  He pushed away, but the book seemed to be sucking him in.  His efforts were ultimately futile, and Harry found himself falling from the ceiling into a dusty room.  Harry collected himself and looked around.  It couldn't be – he was in the History of Magic classroom?

Sure enough, Professor Binns popped into existence at the head desk and droned, "Today we're going to talk about how to track time travels…"  Harry was torn between excitement at learning precisely what he wanted and boredom at the professor's monotone.

Four hours later, Professor Binns finally finished his lecture and vanished with a quiet poof.  Harry felt himself being lifted from the floor and was soon thrown from the inside of the book onto the wooden floor of the library's restricted section.  Harry looked back at the book lying innocently on the library floor – and wondered at the convenience of the whole affair.

It was far simpler to trace Voldemort than Harry could have imagined.  He didn't need to prepare a potion; he didn't even need to know where the portal was created.  All he had to do was picture the event in his mind.  Granted, there were one minor setback – he didn't know exactly how Voldemort would look like, nor what environment he would cast the spell in.  After all, it was hard to picture the event in his mind if he didn't know either of the two.  Then he realized he didn't need to know that – he knew exactly where the portal led to – the underground of the Department of Mysteries.  Sure enough, after he intoned "_Tempus Postis Vestigo_" for the fourth time, while imagining a portal opening in the underground of the Department of Mysteries, a blue slip of parchment shimmered into existence in front of him.  Harry picked it up eagerly and read it.

_+13.93 days_

_55° 25' 03" N  
2° 43' 29" W_

_Little Hangleton_

_Riddle Manor_

_Sitting Room_

_-7004.52 days_

_51° 30' 17" N_

_0° 06' 48" W_

_London___

_Ministry of Magic: Department of Mysteries_

_Underground Chamber_

Harry quickly thought _Well, obviously the Ministry of Magic is where the portal ends up, so the Riddle Manor is where Voldemort started.  _Harry suddenly noticed that the +13.93 days switched over to a +13.92.  Obviously it must be a countdown to when Voldemort would open his portal.  Sure enough, several minutes later, the second number switched to a -7004.53.  _I have 2 weeks_ Harry told himself _Now_ I need to think of a way to kill Voldemort for good.__

---

Hoohoo, we're getting to the good stuff.  Oh, and this is the third to last chapter, by the way.

I was somewhat surprised at the response to the puzzle in the last chapter – everyone's up in arms trying to solve it.  I admit, I made it a little to hard, so I'm going to give two hints.

Hint 1: Harry was amazed that Ron (of all people hadn't solved it)

Hint 2: t = N, = K (the runes are Viking)

Hope that helps out.  Oh, and nobody's sent me the solution yet…

Kaelli: Hehe…

DragonLord: Thanks!  I sort of recognized the story you were talking about, but it's been awhile since I've read it and I don't remember the title or who it's by.  Glad you found it, though!

Lakergurl13: It seemed the sort of the eulogy Dumbledore would have.  You know, half the e-mails I got over the last several days (besides spam) were about that puzzle.

Feel free to review!


	10. Preparations and Lies

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

Harry bid his goodbye to McGonagall – there was no need to spend any more time at Hogwarts.  Instead, he spent his time sitting on a large hill a few miles east of his house, trying to figure out the second portion of his task.  However, he didn't seem to make any headway, and was glad when Ginny stopped by after she got back from work and brought a wicker basket.

"A picnic?" Harry asked, grinning.

"Of course," Ginny replied.  "So you're finally done reading?"  She opened the basket and spread a blanket across the wild grass.

"Yeah," Harry replied, a bit cautiously.  He didn't want to tell Ginny that he now had to come up with a way to defeat Voldemort for good, as well as the fact that it would be less than 2 weeks away.  He knew that she would worry about him, and probably want to come along as well.

"So what did you find out?" Ginny asked, and Harry was able to discern a probing tone to it.  Apparently the picnic wasn't going to be free, and Harry tried not to sigh.

"Voldemort's going to go back two months from now."  Harry was a little guilty about his lie, but he knew that if Ginny knew the correct date, she'd insist on coming along.  He knew what fighting Voldemort was like – after all, he had done it enough times before – but he wasn't about put his wife in the same position.

"I guess we'll both be busy then?" Ginny asked, although it was only partly a question – she obviously intended to stop Voldemort as well.

"Of course," Harry replied.  This drew a curious gaze from Ginny – she apparently expected him to argue with her about this, and Harry felt another twinge of guilt about his lie.

Harry was again sitting on the knoll, and he was again trying to figure out how to kill Voldemort – permanently.  _Why kill?  Harry asked himself.  __Chances are, the key to defeating Voldemort wouldn't lie in death.  After all, he was hit by a rebounding Avada Kedavra when he tried to kill me as a baby, but his spirit still lived.  Same thing my 5th year at Hogwarts – and he escaped again.  The banishing worked two years later, except it was possible to bring him back.  Well… how do I banish him for good?_

Harry thought for awhile, but wasn't able to come up with anything.  _Ok, forget about that?  Wait a minute!  Before I trapped him in the sphere, I created that barrier he couldn't escape from.  What would happen if I shrunk the barrier's size to nothing – with Voldemort inside?  What if I trapped him, and then shrunk the inside until it didn't exist?_

Harry considered this, realizing that he was on to something.  _Ok, he couldn't get out of my barrier.  But if there was no space on the inside, wouldn't that mean he wouldn't take up any space himself?  And if that's true, he couldn't interact with the environment – he couldn't hold a wand, he couldn't be nursed to health, and he couldn't possess people.  Harry grinned excitedly – it appeared as though the pieces were falling into place._

The next eleven days were stressful.  Harry spent his time practicing his barrier, making sure it was strong enough – he didn't want Voldemort to escape.  Ginny kept shooting him furtive glances, as if worrying that he'd come up with an excuse to leave her behind on the second month.  She was right, although in the wrong way.

Finally, the day arrived – Harry was going to finally fulfill destiny.  He made sure he woke up early; he didn't want his wife spotting him leaving.  After quietly slipping out of bed, he silently pulled out some parchment and a quill.

_Honey,_

_I'm sorry I had to lie to you about the specific date, and I know you're going to be furious at me.  But I have to face him – alone.  I'll probably be back even before you read this, but I'll be back before lunch at the latest.  Please don't worry – I'll be back soon._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Harry pulled out his wand and quickly apparated to the Riddle Manor.  Harry took a deep breath of the dark musty air of the house and looked around.  The walls were covered in a thin layer of dust and the carpet had faded to reddish-gray.  Still, it was quiet apparent that the house used to be quite regal.

Harry heard the gentle crackling of a fire and made his way through the house towards it.  He entered a large room with the same faded carpet, although there was a large cushioned chair facing the small flickering flames in a large fireplace.  Suddenly, Harry realized he had seen this room before – it was in his dream where the old man was killed during his fourth year!  Gathering his courage, Harry pointed his wand and rotated the chair slowly to face him.

"Voldemort," Harry whispered.

---

Ok, ok, I know I ended on a small Cliffhanger.  Well, the final chapter should be up on Thursday or Friday…

Also, I think I owe an apology for the puzzle – I made it too hard.  Several of you got really close – it's a representation of a chess board.  The Green represents the black side; the orange runes are the white side.  It's white's move, and can mate in 6 (1. _Rh1 d4_ 2._Ra1 d3 3.__Ra3 b2xa3+ 4._Ka1 a2_ 5.__Ba3 Kxf6 6.__Bb2++)_

Kaelli: Uh, the Irish Drinking song isn't making a reappearance.  I mean, it's the last chapter.  I somehow don't think it'd fit…

MicroChick: Well, close.  You just didn't see the chess connection.  About Voldemort freeing himself – I can't see how he'd do it more than once.  After all, if he was released once – how did he get locked back up?

Lakergurl13: Yeah, the History of Magic classroom is an odd choice.  I did it because the Book's title in the Restricted section.  There are two little jokes with it.  I was just wondering if anyone would pick up on them.

Dragonlord: Haha, yeah right – me spend a lot of time researching Viking Runes.  You've got me mistaken for a bushy-haired Gryffindor.  No, I went to Yahoo.com, searched for 'Rune pictures' or something similar and found a 'Spell your own name in Viking Runes' webpage.  I pretended my name was KRBNP and copied the picture.  After some modification (to get two different colors) I rearranged the pieces to fit the chess puzzle (one of John Nunn's)  The entire thing took less than 30 minutes.  

Feel free to review


	11. The Leftover

Disclaimer: This story is provided by the author 'as is' and does not contain or represent any expressed or implied ownership of any fictional characters and/or creatures created by J.K.Rowling.

_"Voldemort," Harry whispered._

However, Voldemort didn't look to be in a position to reply.  He was in what appeared to be a half-baby, half-snake form, which Harry recognized from the dream as well.  Not only did Voldemort look extremely nervous at Harry's presence, but he seemed to barely be able to hold up his wand.

_It's a trick!_  Harry's mind insisted, and he loudly called, "_Expelliarmus__!"_

Voldemort weakly performed the countercurse, but didn't manage to put enough power behind it to block Harry's spell.

After he caught the wand, Harry looked back down at Voldemort, who was sitting helplessly on the floor.  Puzzled, Harry cast, "_Avada__ Kedavra" at the semi-reptilian form.  Green light rushed forward, and Voldemort slumped to the floor.  Harry quickly cast his practiced barrier around the pulsing black apparition which emerged from the dead creature on the floor._

Slowly, Harry pulled the barrier in on itself.  Centimeter by centimeter, the enclosure shrunk, and Harry was yet again amazed by the ease of what he was doing.  Still, he kept at it, and almost effortlessly closed the barrier completely.  He could feel Voldemort still there, but there didn't seem to be any way to interact with him.  So Voldemort still existed – but in a way, he didn't exist.  Content that Voldemort wouldn't trouble anyone again, Harry thought _It__ is done._

Suddenly, a burning sensation came from his hip.  Recognizing what was going on, Harry again pulled Dumbledore's talisman from his robe pocket.  Yet the amulet didn't seem to be content to shine and give off heat, and was dramatically increasing in size.  Soon it was too heavy for Harry to hold, and he was forced to drop it on the floor.  The amulet grew to 2 meters across, and was no longer shimmering in different colors, but appeared to be a pure white.  Crackling light blue streams arched across its hallow center, and Harry felt a stream of air coming from behind him.

The stream quickly grew to a torrent, which was being sucked into the portal.  The jet tugged at Harry, pulling him towards the gateway as well.  He slipped and fell to the ground, trying vainly to hold onto something, but failed and was pulled into the crackling portal.  Hesitantly, Harry opened his eyes.  The inside of the portal was unlike anything Harry had ever seen.  There were colors that weren't meant for human comprehension, and sounds which were somehow infinitely complex, yet almost understandable.  Harry felt his head swimming, but just before he lost the battle to hold onto his sanity, he felt something flat hit his face.  Hard.

Harry cautiously opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on a stone floor.  He warily got up, and heard a voice call from behind him, "Excuse me, but what are you doing here?"

Harry turned around, to see an amazing sight.  Dumbledore.  And he appeared exactly as he did when Harry attended Hogwarts.  "Albus?" Harry asked, amazed.

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked back, apparently as shocked as Harry was.

"Wait a minute," Harry said, mostly to himself, "_I'm the one who travels back in time?"_

"Travels back in time?" Dumbledore asked curiously.  Harry fumbled around in his robes and handed Dumbledore a bit of blue parchment.

_+7018.45 days_

_55° 25' 03" N  
2° 43' 29" W_

_Little Hangleton_

_Riddle Manor_

_Sitting Room_

_-0.00 days_

_51° 30' 17" N_

_0° 06' 48" W_

_London___

_Ministry of Magic: Department of Mysteries_

_Underground Chamber_

Dumbledore examined the parchment, and Harry explained, "You said I needed to track Voldemort traveling back in time, that he would release himself from the Sphere of Madness.  What's going on?"

Dumbledore stood and thought for a minute, obviously trying to figure what was going on.  Finally he looked up and slowly said, "I'm afraid that you're the one that must open the sphere."

"What?" Harry asked, alarmed.

"You must open the sphere," Dumbledore repeated.  "It was never Voldemort who traveled back in time.  It was you."

"But… the death eater attacks," Harry sputtered, "all of that – it's because I release Voldemort myself?  No!"

"You must, Harry," Dumbledore replied softly, "Otherwise history will reshuffle."

"Reshuffle?" Harry asked, ashen at the recent developments.

"If you cause a paradox with history, killing your grandfather or such, history reshuffles itself.  It is unclear exactly what will happen, but it's easily possible that the world will change to a reality where Voldemort is in power.  His being free for twenty years is negligible against what could possibly happen if you don't release him."

Harry finally conceded and slowly walked towards the black orb, which was shimmering darkly in the center of the chamber.  Harry cleared his mind and with all his might whispered, "_Permissi__ Communatatis."  He achieved what he hadn't been able to do two decades ago, and the sphere broke down into a dark filmy ash, which was tossed around when Voldemort's spirit quickly fled the chamber._

"Where will you go?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry's jaw fell.  It was too much.  "I don't know," Harry lied, already realizing what was coming next.

"You must hide.  For twenty years," Dumbledore said softly

Harry weakly nodded, and whispered, "How do I leave?"

Dumbledore gave an encouraging, yet sad, smile, and said, "You can apparate.  I haven't put the wards up yet."

Harry, trying not to think, apparated out of the building and ended up in a nondescript landscape he didn't recognize.  It didn't matter anymore.  Harry collapsed on the ground, horrified.  He was 'the other one' that Ginny had talked about.  He was the leftover from traveling back in time.  The full realization hit him – he couldn't see his wife.  She was 16 years old right now.  He couldn't disrupt time – otherwise Voldemort might come back to power.  He had finally bought the world freedom from Voldemort, but at the cost of 19 years of exile from everyone he ever knew.  Harry set off across the countryside.  The price wasn't merely high.  It was unspeakable.

---

Well, the story's finally finished!

I mentioned there were two little quirks with the book – they have to do with the author.  Salle du 'Dumb-Bore'.  Salle du is French for 'Room of the'.  Hence 'Room of the Dumb Bore' – the history of magic classroom.  However, 'Salle du Dumb-bore' is an anagram of Albus Dumbledore – the headmaster himself wrote the book.

You can see that this is really only one half of the story.  The other half is Dumbledore's – how he found the older version of Harry in the chamber, how he deduced from Harry's comments what had happened, and how he steered Harry into fulfilling his destiny (just not the way Harry had thought).

Full points to Kim for his prediction on who opened the sphere!

Lakergurl: Well, I imagine Ginny's would be beyond mad, finding that Harry somehow aged two decades in one morning.

DragonLord: Yeah, the Legion should hopefully get going a little faster now.

A big thanks to all those reviewed!  If you like this story and haven't checked it out already, take a look at 'Harry Potter and the Legion of the Shadow'.


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